Lightning Trap

Looks like huge buff in Awakening

Anyone else taken a stab at this since 2.0? I've got a build coming up now (late 50s atm) that's not doing too bad as I kill most packs with 2 sets of multi-traps. Anyone else trying this out?

I'm planning on a build for this using Rigwald's Quills and Roth's Reach (because everyone is casting spells and junk with bow and quiver these days), for the 30-50% increased projectile damage, 30% projectile speed, free fork and free +1 chain.

I figure the ability to use a 7.5 link, and not having the 0.89 and 0.69 damage modifiers from using the Fork and Chain support gems more than makes up for the damage lost in using trap appropriate wand/shield, or whatever it is people use (probably a dagger actually).

Does anyone have any thoughts for how horrible Lightning Trap is to use, in general? I've only briefly experimented with trap builds, but I can't find another spell that works better with this setup (maybe Spark).

I always wanted to make a viable Lighting Trap Build since the Damage Buff, because i love the Fast Paced feeling with that skill while Racing. But lighting Trap falls off pretty Quickly since you get to higher content. I did use a Free Respec yesterday to make a Viable elemental Crit Trapper with Lightning Trap, but...yeah.

Lighting Trap by itself has a high Base Damage, but that is hard to Scale. The main links i used was LT - Mine Damage - Controlled Destruction - Lighting Pen - Multitrap - Chain/Slower Proj/Inc Crit Strikes. Where Chain works decent versus big Packs, it's not that good at all (with Multitrap, maybe without - i did not test this). Slower Proj feels Awkward, but has the highest Damage Potential and inc. Crit. Strikes was the best overall gem. Considering my good Gear that i used and a lvl 19 Lightning Trap, the Damage Output was just okay'ish for T6 Maps. That was with ~50% crit chance on LT and about ~450 Crit multi. For everything higher than T6 it was just bad, you run out of Traps (LT was my AoE clear skill) and that's with the new Cooldown Passives. The low base crit Chance and the fact that is a Lighting Damage spell, makes this a very unreliable skill to use in End Game. I just got to about ~8k average Damage per Trap. At the moment, you should avoid this Skill and take Firestorm/Bladefall instead. They kill better with lower investment, especially when combined with Poison.

Pick up Roth's Reach and Rigwald's Quills.

You get Fork and +1 chain for free, and also get +30-50% increased projectile damage out of the mix.

It seems better than using anything else, because it gives you all the pack control you need without any pesky 'LESS' damage modifiers while freeing up gem slots in your 5/6L for pure damage boosts. With a 6L, it's basically the equivalent to an 8L, since you get Fork and +1 chain for free.

Lightning Trap, Trap and Mine Damage, Lightning Pen, Multiple Traps, Slower Projectiles, Controlled Destruction.

Scales up the wazoo. No pack survives a toss of that.

The setup also works gangbusters with Vaal Spark trap for clearing bosses. Throw it in a Deer Stalker for free Trap, and you can still use Faster Projectiles, Trap and Mine Damage, and Lightning Penetration, for the equivalent of a 7 Link in your boots.

Drop a Deadhand talisman for 100% guaranteed boss kill.

So, I've made a Lightning Trap build (2.3 patch, Prophecy). Overall experience is rather good but I still think the skill should be looked at.

The idea was:
Cluster Trap, Sunblast, Clever Construction, Hasty Reconstruction, 100% reduced trap duration, 100% projectile pierce chance.


The skill issues:
Base damage min-max range is too high, sometimes it 'oneshot' T12 boss, sometimes its difficult to kill t8 rare mob. Even with cluster trap, avg damage is not 'stable' enough to make the skill pleasant to use vs bosses.

Max damage is too low to even bother with damage conversion to apply any sort of DoT with the skill, Fire/Ice/Vortex Trap is simpler and better for this purpose. Therefore, lightning trap is 'locked' with pierce and cluster trap, there is no other use for the skill.

Max damage is too high, with lucky damage roll cluster trap can 'oneshot' 14k ES character on the Sarn arena. That is unacceptable.

The trap feels clunky to use with less than 30% Trap throwing speed.

Trap arming time is too high, in stressful situation like boss fight the delay before explosion takes ages.